Blood and Vengeance
by Jayie The Hufflepuff
Summary: What if Bluestar had told the other Clans about Tigerclaw's crimes after his exile? When Tigerclaw and his followers are turned away by every Clan, they are forced to seek allies outside of the forest to take the power they seek - and a certain BloodClan leader suddenly finds that his enemy has delivered himself into his paws. Three-part Warriors AU.
1. Part 1

Blood and Vengeance: Part One  
A Warriors AU One-Shot

The browns and grays of the forest were cast in a rich, blood-red by the setting sun. Everything hung in an uneasy silence as the creatures of the day fell quiet and the creatures of the night waited to rise. The only living things in the clearing below were six cats, cloaked in the shadows cast by the trees.

One cat sat apart from the rest. His tail lashed in a slow, frustrated rhythm as he stared out into the distant forest. Behind him, he could hear his companions licking their wounds. His own wounds burned like fire, but even worse was the rage and frustration that clawed at his chest. Everything he had worked for, all of his carefully-laid plans, everything he had ever hungered for deep in his bones, it was all falling apart in front of his eyes.

"Tigerclaw." The massive tabby didn't react to the sound of his voice, only flicking one ear in an abrupt motion. His companion seemed to take that as an invitation. The massive white tom sat next to Tigerclaw, his amber eyes like chips of fire in the dim light of the forest. "What are we going to do now?"

A growl rumbled deep in Tigerclaw's throat, warning his companion into silence. "We're going to keep doing exactly what we have been," Tigerclaw said in a cool tone, trying to hide the anger he felt building within his belly. "The Clans cannot keep us from our rightful place forever. One day, they will give in to our strength."

"They haven't given into anything so far," a she-cat grumbled behind them. Tigerclaw's gaze flitted back to look at the gray-and-brown torbie, who was staring at the toms with a mixture of fear and defiance. "Every time we've tried to approach them, they've chased us out. They're never going to accept us."

Tigerclaw turned to look properly at the she-cat, cowing her back into silence as his hackles began to raise. "Are you suggesting we give up, Tangleburr?" he demanded.

Tangleburr's eyes grew wide as moons. "N-no, I didn't..." she stammered.

"She has a point." Tigerclaw shifted his glare to the ginger tom, but unlike Tangleburr he didn't balk. He rose to his paws, wincing at some wound as he stalked up to Tigerclaw. There was a challenge in his amber eyes. "We've been at this for ages, and every time we approach the Clans, they turn their claws on us. It seems they don't find us as impressive as you promised." Tigerclaw gave a sharp hiss, and the tom flinch briefly, but quickly resumed his defiant stance.

A stumpy-tailed tom mewed mournfully, "It's hopeless. The Clans will never forgive us for following Brokenstar."

Annoyance pricked at Tigerclaw's pelt. Unlike Stumptail and the rest of the former ShadowClan cats, he knew very well that it wasn't Brokenstar's reputation that was making the Clans chase them away from their borders. He had been uncertain at first, but when even the sick, weakened ShadowClan had sent them running, he had been convinced – Bluestar had told the other Clans of his treachery. Now that all of the Clans knew of his murderous ambitions, and that his followers had been loyal to both him and Brokenstar, there wasn't a single Clan cat that would ever trust them again. There would be no charming his way to power, not anymore.

But his hold over his companions was growing shaky enough as it was, so he didn't voice these thoughts to any of them. Instead, he rose to his paws, pulling himself to his full height and letting his massive size command silence. "Perhaps not yet," he rumbled, meeting each cat's gaze in turn. "And perhaps we have been hasty. With our numbers as they are, we cannot yet force the Clans to listen to us. We need more cats." His gaze shifted to a scrawny tom. "Mowgli." The tom jumped, his eyes growing wide as Tigerclaw addressed him. "Are there any other rogues you know that would be willing to follow us for the chance to control a Clan?"

Mowgli shook his head reluctantly. "I stayed out of other cats' way as much as possible in twolegplace," he admitted. "I didn't know many cats at all until you all found me."

"No self-respecting rogue is going to fight for you on a promise you can't deliver on," Snag growled.

Tigerclaw's glare snapped back to Snag. Fury blazed through his pelt. Both toms stared each other down, their hackles raising and their eyes flashing in the dark. "If you have a problem with how I lead this group-"

"You promised us a place in a Clan, and all we've earned for our troubles is torn fur," Snag snarled. The rest of the group were frozen, eyes wide as they watched the confrontation between the two massive toms. "So far, you've done nothing for us but lead us into a lot of battles that we couldn't win. Why should we keep following you after all of that?"

Fury sang through Tigerclaw's blood, but he forced himself to bite back the furious words that rose to his tongue. Though he would never admit it aloud, a part of him knew that Snag was right. They had been at this for moons now, and no matter what they tried or how they presented themselves, the Clans had successfully chased them away every time they'd tried to get a foothold. He knew that with every failure, his followers' faith in him, and fear of him, waned a little more. If he wasn't careful, very soon they might grow fed up and leave him, and he would have no chance at all of taking over the Clans.

For a moment, he stared around at his group, fear clenched tight in his gut. The confidence that had led him forward his entire life was failing him now. He had no idea what to do next to fix this mess. For the first time in his life, he was truly afraid that his ambition would never be fulfilled, and he would left to wander alone for the rest of his life, a rogue with no purpose or worth. He could never live that way. He just couldn't.

But he couldn't voice those fears to his companions, so instead he bared his fangs and snarled, "Because I'm the only chance you have at ever being more than a sorry, fleabitten rogue for the rest of your life." He swept his gaze around the group, growling. "We can do this. The Clans cannot keep us out forever. We just need to gather enough of a following -"

"Oh please!" Snag snarled. "We'd have better luck trying to get in good with BloodClan than following you!"

Tigerclaw paused. For a moment, something like hope flickered in his chest again. He took a step towards Snag, who flinched faintly as the massive tabby loomed over him.

"What is BloodClan?"

 **SCENEBREAK**

The decision had not been an easy one. For the plan to work, Tigerclaw would have to give up a greater amount of control of his group than he wished. But at last he admitted that it was the only choice he had left.

Snag was the one to lead them into twolegplace. The ginger rogue had lived a fair part of his life in the place, and knew how to lead the group to what Tigerclaw sought. "I hope this plan of yours works, Tigerclaw," Snag had grumbled when Tigerclaw had explained it to him. "There's a reason I avoided them when I lived in twolegplace. If you're wrong, we'll all pay the price."

"I know what I'm doing," Tigerclaw had responded. Snag had offered no further arguments, and had dutifully led their little group into the twisting thunderpaths and dens of twolegplace.

Tigerclaw was on edge the entire time. His tail lashed behind him, and his hackles bristled, as he stalked briskly by Snag's shoulder. Blackfoot was at the rear of the group, keeping an eye out for any threats around them, while Stumyptail, Tangleburr, and Mowgli followed quickly behind Tigerclaw. The massive tabby couldn't help but be uneasy. In the forest, he knew every shrub and every fern, every place where a cat could hide, or could wait in ambush.

But here, he was a stranger. The hard gray stone underpaw, the stone-and-wood dens that stretched far above his head, the stench of the monsters and their thunderpaths, they were all completely alien to him. He hated the feeling of being blind and helpless as a kit here, especially when he knew his enemies knew this territory as well as their own pelts.

"Come on," Snag called back to the others in a low hiss. "We're not far now." The group was walking alongside a narrow thunderpath, closed in on both sides by tall twoleg dens, tendrils and planks of some sort connecting the dens overhead. It was all much too constricting for Tigerclaw's comfort, and he had to hide the uneasy bristling of his pelt.

Tigerclaw lashed his tail. "We'd better not be," he grumbled. Snag glanced back at him – Tigerclaw waited for a snide remark about twolegplace putting their fearless leader on edge, but instead Snag just turned away and continued leading them forward.

"Intruders!" The cat echoed through the narrow alley Snag was leading them through. Before Tigerclaw could react, cats were appearing from everywhere, stalking out of the shadows of the dens, leaping down from the roofs above, slinking out from tall silver structures beside the walls. In a matter of moments, their patrol was surrounded.

Mowgli shrunk back with fear the moment the cats appeared, and even Snah appeared to be intimidated, taking a step back with wide eyes. Tangleburr, Stumpytail, and Blackfoot were crouching in an instant, claws out and ready for a fight, but Tigerclaw cut them off with a simple lash of his tail. Though the cats around them were smaller than Tigerclaw, their ragged pelts covered hard muscle, and scars adorned each cats' pelt. They were all wearing collars, but the teeth and claws that pierced through them told Tigerclaw that these weren't exactly soft little kittypets. Some tact would be required here.

A large black-and-white tom stepped forwad from the group. "What do we have here?" he hissed. His lower fangs jutted out over his muzzle, giving him a less-than-intelligent expression. Tigerclaw felt a rush of contempt for the tom as his ice-blue gaze traveled over the Clan cats. "A bunch of scrawny forest rogues who think they can just walk around here like they own the place?"

"You're in BloodClan territory, forest kitties," a skinny gray she-cat hissed. Her green eyes glittered with malice as her claws scraped lightly against the stone path under her paws. "No one comes or goes around here without the say-so of Scourge. This is his hunting alley, so get lost, unless you want to lose some fur."

A large cream she-cat took a step towards Mowgli, who skittered back with a wild expression of fear. "Ha, look at these scared little runts," she snarled. "I don't think we should give them the chance to run."

Fury and disgust twisted together in Tigerclaw's gut. These scrawny, filthy half-kittypets thought they had the right to look down on Clan warriors like they were lesser. He longed to claw the arrogance off of their faces, but as much as he hated to admit it, he needed them.

He forced his fur to lie flat as he took a step towards the BloodClan cats. "Greetings," he said in a cool mew. "My name is Tigerclaw. We mean no offense by being here, and we're not looking for a fight. My friends and I have come to speak with Scourge."

A sharp hiss of laughter came from the cream she-cat. "And what, we're just supposed to lead a bunch of scrawny forest kitties to Scourge?" she mocked.

"That's enough, Viper." The hiss came from a tortoiseshell she-cat. Her coarse pelt told Tigerclaw she was the eldest of the patrol, as did the authority in her hiss as she glared down Viper. The cream she-cat reluctantly sheathed her claws, stepping back. "They may be forest cats, but a couple of them look like decent fighters. They might be of some use to BloodClan." She lifted her chin. "We'll take them to Scourge."

The black-and-white tom glared at the tortoiseshell. "You're really going to let some forest fleabags order us around?" he demanded. There was something oddly familiar about the tom, but Tigerclaw couldn't seem to place it.

"I'm not going to be the one to explain to Scourge why we didn't bring a potential threat, or help, to the Clan to see him when we had the chance," the tortoiseshell answered in a firm hiss. Before the tom could argue further, she turned and began padding away. "Come," she ordered in a brisk mew. "We'll bring you to Scourge – and you'd better hope that whatever brought you here is worth his time."

Tigerclaw dipped his head respectfully, then fell in behind the tortoiseshell, the rest of his group following behind him. He kept a wary eye on the other BloodClan cats that kept his little group surrounded as they padded through twolegplace. From the narrowed eyes and curled lips, many of them didn't seem happy with the tortoiseshell's decision to lead them to Scourge. He kept his guard up, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice should any of them attack, as the tortoiseshell led them deeper into the city.

As the sun was setting over twolegplace, the cats came into a wider stone clearing. Cats were gathered everywhere, some wearing tooth-spiked collars, others not, draped across the stone and the walls and every surface imaginable. Against one of the stone walls was a green, boxy structure, and atop that structure sat a single cat.

At first, Tigerclaw almost mistook the tiny creature for a kit. The black tom was hardly larger than a new-made apprentice. Only the purple tooth-spiked collar, the coarse adult fur around his face, and the cold light to his ice-blue eyes, tipped Tigerclaw off to his mistake. He wondered who the tom could be – the tiny creature couldn't possibly be the vicious Scourge that he'd heard about, even if all the cats in the clearing seemed to be paying him so much attention. Maybe he was some kind of medicine cat. There were two much larger cats beside the green box, a gray tabby she-cat and a massive black-and-white tom. The tom was probably the leader, Tigerclaw guessed, with the large she-cat as his deputy.

The tortoiseshell brought Tigerclaw and his group in front of the structure, then gave a respectful dip of her head to the tiny tom. "Scourge, these forest cats have requested the right to speak with you," she mewed in a careful tone. Tigerclaw couldn't stop the surprised fluffing out of his pelt. This little pipsqueak of a cat was the fearsome Scourge? He could toss this tiny thing across the clearing with one swipe of his paw! How was such a sleek-furred, pitiful little excuse for a cat supposed to be leader of such a fearsome group of rogues?

While he struggled with this revelation, he saw Scourge's icy gaze flit to him for a second. There was something deep and intense about the tom's ice-blue gaze, sharp as flint, but with all the chill of leafbare. He could sense that the tom had seen his disdain for his size, that nothing was hidden from this sharp gaze. But for the briefest moment, there was something else there too, something deeper and hungry, something that Tigerclaw could only guess at.

Then Scourge blinked, and the moment was gone. His icy gaze was cool and calculated once more. "I see." His voice was high in pitch, a chill in every word. He gave a small flick of his tail. The signal was enough to make the tortoiseshell back up, her hackles bristling uneasily. Scourge's gaze fell lazily back to Tigerclaw. "We do not have many visitors from the forest in this town. What brings you here?"

Tigerclaw forced his surprise, and disdain, to the back of his mind. He took a step forward, rumbling in as respectful a voice as he could manage, "Greetings, Scourge. My name is Tigerclaw, and these cats are my companions." He waved his hefty tail to indicate the cats gathered around and behind him. "Most of us were once warriors of the forest Clans." Murmurs of interest sprung up around the clearing, but Scourge silenced them with a single flick of his tail. "I was deputy of ThunderClan, and my companions were warriors of ShadowClan. But our corrupted Clans turned on us for our loyalty to the warrior code and for the strength we used to defend our Clan. My leader, Bluestar, was jealous of my strength, and preferred to let a kittypet whisper in her ear than to listen to the advice of a faithful deputy."

Amusement spark in the icy depths of Scourge's eyes. "How humiliating that must have been for you, upstaged by a kittypet." His tone was light, but there was a mocking edge to it.

Outrage surged in Tigerclaw's veins. How dare this little mouse of a cat think he could mock him? He longed to sink his claws into the tom's soft, kittypet-like pelt, but he forced himself to keep his friendly composure. Scourge might be an annoying little rat, and it was humiliating to suck up to him now – but it would all be worth it in the end. "In the end, we were all exiled for our strength. The forest Clans care more about defending traitors and coddling kittypets than honoring real courage in their warriors, and we have suffered the consequences for it."

Scourge listened with an unreadable expression. "I can see why you left your Clans, if they're as pitiful as you said," he mused in his high, icy mew. "But why have you brought your tale of woe to me? I care little for how the forest Clans treat their cats. If you aren't strong enough to win your own place back in the Clans, you must not be very great warriors after all." Taunting hisses rang out through the clearing, a few cats baring their fangs at the Clan cats, or unsheathing their claws and scraping them across the stone.

Tigerclaw couldn't stop the outraged bristle of his hackles this time, or the short hiss that escaped him. Interest sparked in Scourge's eyes at the gesture, but he made no comment, and Tigerclaw quickly forced his pelt back down. "The forest Clans are vast in numbers," he mewed smoothly, trying to hurry past his slip. "As strong as we are, a group as small as ours stands no chance against them. But we have heard tales of the might and strength of BloodClan, superior to anything found in the forest." The lies slipped easily from his tongue – he knew that he had to flatter the scrawny leader if he had any chance of getting what he wanted.

He took a deep breath, then finally admitted, "My companions and I have come to ask permission to join BloodClan, to serve by your side as loyal guards, so we may finally put our strength to use for a worthy Clan."

Surprise flared in Scourge's eyes for the briefest moment. Then, the tiny leader quickly regained his composure. "I see," he mewed. His expression and tone gave away nothing now. "I don't know what tales you've heard, Tigerclaw, but I am not in the habit of taking in every cat off the street who wants to prove themselves. We aren't your weak little forest Clans – only the strongest survive in BloodClan. If you can't make it in the forest, you won't have a prayer here. I only take the best for my guard – if you're too weak to make it here, you're only going to be wasting every cat's time."

Tigerclaw lifted his chin, fighting back the indignation that flooded him, that this tiny cat would challenge his strength. "My companions and I were the strongest cats in the forest, and we were hated for it," he growled. "We want to use our strength to serve a true leader now. I can promise you, we wouldn't be wasting any cat's time. Just give us a chance to prove ourselves to you."

Scourge was silent for several moments. Tigerclaw tried to gauge the tom's reaction, but he gave away nothing in his expression. Finally, he murmured, "We'll see whether or not you're right. But not tonight." Even as he spoke, the last of the sun's light was disappearing over the twoleg dens, and the darkness of night was spreading in the sky. Scourge turned his gaze to the other guards, mewing briskly, "Hiss, Snake, Viper, find these forest cats somewhere to sleep for tonight – and keep an eye on them. In the morning, we'll see if these forest cats really have what it takes to serve with BloodClan."

The tortoiseshell dipped her head respectfully. "Yes, Scourge," she mewed. She glanced back at the Clan cats, flicking her tail as she mewed, "Come on." Tigerclaw fell in behind her as she began leading the forest cats away from the clearing. As they left, he chanced one final glance back at Scourge. As humiliating as it was to bow and scrape at the paws of such weak, tiny little thing, Tigerclaw mused, it really was lucky for him that Scourge was so small.

It would make betraying and kill him all the easier when the time came.

Even now, he could feel excitement prickling at his paws, threading through his pelt and filling him with fierce delight. Once he and his companions had worked their way through the ranks of BloodClan and earned their respect, Tigerclaw would get Scourge out of the way and establish himself as BloodClan's new leader. Then, it would be time to use his new army to take back his rightful place as leader of the Clans, and both the forest and the town would be under his power. He could feel the glory of his nine lives already blazing through his pelt, it was just out of reach, like the remaining memory of a dream slipping away once awake, but he would be there soon.

Tomorrow would see the first step on his path to glory.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Scourge watched from his perch on the dumpster as Hiss led away the forest cats into the town. Outwardly, he was as silent and cold as ever, never betraying an ounce of emotion. Inside, he was reeling from everything that had happened.

For all of these seasons, he had waited. He had built himself and his Clan up, making himself stronger, letting the ice in his heart grow colder and colder in preparation. His focus had been leading his Clan, but the thought of revenge had always been in the back of his mind, festering like a bad wound. And now, all of these seasons later, fate had just delivered his revenge to him, like a gift. The one he hated most had just given himself entirely over to Scourge's mercy. Things couldn't have fallen more perfectly into place if Scourge had planned it himself.

"Scourge." The deep mew of Bone brought the leader out of his thoughts. The rest of the cats were heading off to their nests for the night, but Bone was standing beside the dumpster, looking up at his leader. With a nod of consent from Scourge, Bone leaped up onto the dumpster, settling himself onto his haunches beside his leader. A few moments of silence passed as the last of the cats left the clearing. Then, Bone murmured, "Are you really thinking of letting those forest cats join as guards?"

Scourge said nothing at first. Inside, his mind was already at work, playing carefully with each part of this new puzzle, to see what was the best way to arrange them to his advantage. "Perhaps," he murmured. In truth, he already knew his answer. This was too perfect an opportunity to let slip from his claws. Until he knew the best way to advance, he would need to keep Tigerclaw where he could see him, and that meant bringing him into the Clan. But he would need to be wary. Tigerclaw was no fool, he could tell that already, and letting him into the Clan with no struggle would likely tip him off. He would need to tread lightly with this tom, until the moment was right.

The tom snuck a quick glance at Bone. His oldest supporter undoubtedly enjoyed the power Scourge supplied him, and he wasn't above taking the odd prey offering meant for Scourge when he thought his leader wasn't looking. But he was more truly loyal to Scourge than most of his guard. He trusted him perhaps the most of any cat in twolegplace, as much as he was capable of trusting any cat. And now, he would require Bone's help.

In a leisurely gesture, he lifted one paw and began washing, letting the silence drag out a few moments longer. He finally spoke as he began rubbing his paw over his ears. "Tomorrow, I'm going to pit Tigerclaw against you in a battle to prove the forest cats' strength," he revealed casually. Bone turned his full attention to Scourge as he spoke. "Don't hold back, use your full strength against him – but let him win in the end. Make sure he doesn't know what you're doing, either, or he'll get suspicious."

Bone's ears flew forward with surprise. "You want to let him in without a real fight? Why? What's so special about him and his forest cats?" Scourge knew he wasn't imagining the hint of jealousy in the larger tom's tone. No doubt he was less than pleased at the thought of deliberately, and publically, losing a fight.

Scourge fixed his guard with a sharp gaze. Just because he appreciated Bone's loyalty didn't mean that he owed him any answers, or that he would tolerate questioning of his orders. "Are you refusing to do as I say, Bone?" he mewed, a dangerous edge to his tone.

"Of course not, Scourge!" Bone said in a hasty mew, his eyes widening at his leader's threat. Scourge had to suppress a purr of pleasure. Bone was one of the biggest, strongest toms he knew – and he was quaking like a kit at the threat of Scourge's anger. He relished the sense of power he held over the cats of the town, the respect he had clawed from them piece by piece. And he had no intention of letting the first cat to ever make him feel helpless to take everything he'd worked for away from him.

He was no fool – he could see the ambition glittering in Tigerclaw's eyes, he could see the way he looked down on all of the town cats around him. Whatever he said, it was clear Tigerclaw had no intention of serving as a loyal guard at Scourge's side. This was a cat that craved leadership. As long as Tigerclaw was in his Clan, he would have to watch his back, in case the tabby tried to make a desperate grab for leadership. But if he played this the right way, he could bring this situation to his advantage, and the advantage of BloodClan, in more ways than one.

He rose to his paws. "Good. These forest cats may not have the strength of our guards – but what they learned in the forest may have some worth for us. Play your part right tomorrow, Bone, and BloodClan may enjoy the rewards of this for a long time to come."

Confusion glowed in Bone's eyes, but he seemed more pleased now at the thought of carrying out part of Scourge's plan. "Yes, Scourge," he rumbled. The tom rose to his paws, then with a final nod to his leader, he leaped off of the dumpster and headed off to his den for the night. Scourge stayed where he was for a few moments longer, then turned towards the fence behind the dumpster. He leaped easily up onto the fence, then scaled easily up the wall of the twoleg den behind it, until he had pulled himself up onto the roof. He padded towards the edge of the roof, settling down onto his haunches as he looked out into his domain.

Now that the sun was down, the lights of the town were coming alive, bringing a fiery glow to the town that Scourge ruled. No cats were moving on the streets now – all was quiet. Scourge took in a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of the chilly evening air threading through his pelt. He had been in twolegplace for seasons now, ever since Tigerclaw's vicious attack, which had left him with more than just a scarred pelt. He knew every inch of this town, where every cat nested, where every rat hid, he knew of the birth of every kit, and no cat dared to disobey him. This place was his. Once, he had been a scared and helpless kit who had wandered into the wrong monster's lair. No longer. Now he was the monster, and Tigerclaw had wandered right into his lair. He had no idea what he was up against.

A small purr managed to escape him. Let Tigerclaw try to outwit him, if he dared. This time, he was ready, and he was going to _enjoy_ this.

 **SCENEBREAK**

The next morning, Tigerclaw was roused from his nest by a gray tom. He blinked a few times, confused by the stench of twolegs and monsters all around him, before he remembered where he was and why. Blackfoot and Mowgli shifted beside him – they had shared his makeshift nest for the night.

"Come on," the tom grunted. His yellow eyes were narrowed as he looked at the massive tabby, glittering with suspicion and annoyance. "Scourge wants to see you and the other forest cats."

Tigerclaw rose to his paws, stretching out his limbs one by one. He slid his claws free of their sheaths and stretched them out on the gray stone – he was satisfied to see the tom's eyes widen slightly in fear at their length. With a final shake to clear his head, he allowed the gray tom to lead him out of the overturned silver cylinder that the guards had shoved them into for the night. A few paces away, he could see an identical gray tom leading Tangleburr, Stumpytail, and Snag out of another cylinder. The two identical toms fell into place at the front and rear of the group, and began leading them along the stone path beside the thunderpath.

It didn't take long for the group to reach the clearing from last night. Scourge was sitting atop the green box once again, his icy gaze as unreadable as ever. Even more cats were gathered there compared to the night before, and they watched the arrival of the forest cats with an eager, hungry look in their eyes. The black-and-white tom and gray she-cat were beside the green box again, and a dark gray tom and a white tom sat on its other side. All of their gazes were narrowed as Tigerclaw and his followers came to stand before Scourge.

Once every cat was before him, Scourge called out in a clear voice, "These cats have expressed a wish to join the ranks of the guards of BloodClan." His voice rang clear and strong throughout the clearing, not the thoughtful murmur of last night – it was clear he intended this to be a presentation for all of the gathered cats. "If they wish to have a place here, they must earn it through blood." His icy gaze fell once again on Tigerclaw. "You said you wished for a chance to prove your strength – and that is exactly what you will get. I have decided I will allow one of your number to face one of my guards in battle. If you can win this battle, you and your companions may become guards of BloodClan. If you lose…"

He trailed off, his claws tapping lightly against the top of the box. For the first time, Tigerclaw realized they had been reinforced with what looked like sharpened dog's teeth. As he gazed around the clearing, he saw that many of the other cats were wearing similar reinforcements. For the first time he felt a trickle of fear. Scourge might be a little pipsqueak, but some of the larger cats could deal out some serious damage with such sharp, hefty fangs over their claws. He would have to watch his pelt if he went up against any cat with those claws.

Regardless, he glanced back at his group, giving them a reassuring nod, before taking a step towards Scourge. "I will fight on behalf of my companions." Blackfoot grunted quietly in approval, and Tangleburr and Mowgli gave Tigerclaw encouraging purrs. Even Snag, who had been growing more defiant these last moons, made no argument. He knew as well as the rest of the group that Tigerclaw was the strongest fighter in the forest.

Something like satisfaction glittered in Scourge's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. "Very well. Bone." The word was enough to bring the black-and-white tom beside the box to his paws. The gray tabby shifted to let Bone approach his opponent. Tigerclaw sized up the massive tom carefully – he was huge, nearly as large as Tigerclaw himself, and he had sharpened reinforcements over his claws like his leader. He would be a hard opponent to beat – but certainly not impossible.

The cats of BloodClan quickly cleared a space in the center of the clearing for the fight. They packed in around the edges of the clearing, their gazes eager and hungry for a fight. Tigerclaw and Bone both stepped out into the center of the clearing. Slowly, they began to center each other, sizing each other up. Bone was the first to strike. He lunged at Tigerclaw with frightening speed, sending both toms crashing to the ground. He tried to dig his reinforced claws into Tigerclaw's side, but the massive tabby was already moving, twisting and hooking his claws into Bone's shoulder, trying to pin the black-and-white tom underneath him.

Bone shoved him away with a massive shoulder, immediately twisting around to snap at Tigerclaw's neck, the tabby only just managing to pull away in time. Frustration lanced through his pelt. Bone was faster than he'd expected. He'd have to be quicker on his paws to win. Tigerclaw twisted back onto his paws, lunging out at Bone, who rose up to meet his attack. The two massive tabbies stayed balanced on their hind paws, writhing and struggling as they clawed and bit at each other's shoulders, trying to use their weight to twist the other underneath them. Tigerclaw could hear the excited wails of the watching cats – this was a fight between masters, not a scuffle of uncertain rogues or a cat trying to escape a guard's punishment.

Tigerclaw finally managed to twist Bone around and slam him hard onto his shoulder. He tried to bite down on the tom's neck fur, but Bone twisted around too quickly, slicing out at Tigerclaw's face with his sharpened claw. Agony blazed through Tigerclaw's muzzle. He gave a furious roar of pain, slicing out at Bone with a blind, furious jab of his paw as Bone struggled free of Tigerclaw's grasp. He tried to take advantage of Tigerclaw's distraction to snap at his neck, but Tigerclaw had already whirled around, bearing down on Bone's flank with furious claws. He danced out of reach as Bone slashed out at his side, kicking out at the massive tom with a hind paw, which narrowly missed connecting with Bone's jaw.

The massive guard barreled into Tigerclaw, managing to score his claws down the tabby's sides. Before he could snap his jaws down on flesh, however, Tigerclaw snaked his paw out quickly to pull Bone's head closer, clamping his jaws down on the tom's ear. A hair-raising shriek rose from the guard. He thrashed hard enough to dislodge Tigerclaw's jaws, but before he could attack again, Tigerclaw wrapped his forelegs around Bone and dug his claws in deep, then began pounding and scraping furiously at Bone's soft belly with his hind paws. The flurry of blows weakened Bone enough for Tigerclaw to finally wrestle him to the ground, pinning his legs and using his weight to keep Bone from moving further. He burried his jaws in Bone's neck, holding him pinned to the ground while Bone shrieked and fought to get free. After several moments, he fell limp, his struggles ending. Tigerclaw, wary of a trap, kept biting down.

"Enough!" At the sound of Scourge's command, Tigerclaw released his hold on Bone's neck. The two toms struggled to their paws, then stumbled away from each other, panting heavily. Tigerclaw's muzzle burned like fire, he could feel where the lip had been torn, and his sides and flanks were aching from the sting of Bone's claws. But the massive guard looked even worse for wear. The side of his neck was bleeding heavily, though the wound certainly wasn't fatal, and one ear was torn completely at the top. His flanks and belly were scored with Tigerclaw's clawmarks, and blood was trickling from his parted jaws – Tigerclaw wondered whether a tooth had been knocked loose.

The crowd gathered around the clearing had been wailing their excitement throughout the fight. Now they were whispering to each other, eyes bright with satisfaction, and with respect for the two fighters. Tigerclaw could see his own followers in the crowd, their tails and heads held high, and their eyes blazing with pride. Even Snag's gaze was bright as he gave Tigerclaw a small nod of approval.

Once the crowd had calmed down, Scourge hopped down from the box, making his way over to the fighters. Tigerclaw lifted his chin proudly as Scourge halted before him. "Well, well," the tom murmured, his tone light, almost amused. "I'm impressed. You fought well, Tigerclaw." The tom gave a small nod in reply, ignoring the pain that seared through his muzzle.

Scourge turned towards the crowd, raising his voice in a triumphant yowl. "This tom has proved his strength in a battle against one of our strongest guards, and has therefore earned a place for himself and his companions in my guard." Approving yowls and cheers rose from the crowd. Tigerclaw could see respect, and fear, in the eyes of the watching cats. Satisfaction blazed through Tigerclaw's pelt. They knew what he was capable of now, and he had earned their respect. It would be easy to convince these cats to let him take Scourge's place, if he played this right.

"New recruits, step forward!" At Scourge's command, all of Tigerclaw's followers came to stand before the tiny leader. They dipped their heads to the tom, who let his gaze travel slowly over each cat in turn. After a few moments, he touched his nose to Mowgli's head. The brown tom's eyes lit up with fear, but to his credit he didn't flinch as Scourge spoke. "This cat is now a member of my guard. From this moment on, he will be called Howl."

Tigerclaw watched in silent satisfaction as Scourge renamed all of his companions. Snag became Shred, Blackfoot was Crusher, and Stumpytail and Tangleburr became Vermin and Ambush. Finally, only Tigerclaw remained. The massive tom had to lower himself practically onto his belly for Scourge to reach his head. The leader's gaze was intense as he announced, "This cat is now a member of my guard. From this moment on, he will be called Vengeance."

The massive tabby felt a brush of surprise as he was granted his new name. Scourge met his gaze – for a moment, there was a glow of understanding there. "I can see it in your eyes," he murmured, low enough only for Tigerclaw to hear. "You want to revenge yourself on the Clan cats who wronged you. Let vengeance carry you forward. It makes you stronger. Serve me well, and perhaps vengeance will be carried out against the Clan cats who have done wrong." Vengeance was surprised by the tiny tom's shrewdness. Perhaps he should keep his eye on Scourge after all. But after a moment, his worry faded. Even if Scourge could guess where his ambitions truly lay, he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop Vengeance, not if he approached this right.

With a final blink at Vengenace, Scourge pulled his muzzle back, calling out to the Clan. "These cats are now recognized as full guards of BloodClan!" Yowls of approval, and some of fear, rose from the crowd, the gathered cats calling out the names of the new guards. "Ambush! Vermin! Crusher!" Vengeance lifted his chin high, letting the cheers of his new Clanmates wash over him. "Vengeance! Vengeance!" It didn't matter that he had to act like Scourge's loyal lackey for the time being. Someday soon, he would have the honor of ruling a real Clan back, and it would be the name Tigerstar that his Clanmates would be cheering, not this disgraceful rogue name. All of this would be worth it when he was finally the ruler of the forest.

Scourge watched his Clan cheer for the new guards, holding back a smug purr. Things had gone just as he'd planned, and now, he had his enemy right where he wanted him. Oh yes, vengeance would be had, but not in the way Vengeance believed. All that there was to do now was to set the pieces into place, and then, his enemy would finally fall.

* * *

Okay so, here's the thing. When I get bored, I come up with AUs and crossovers of fandoms and stories in my head and explore the consequences the changes would have on the story, and I develop that story in my head until I get bored with it and move onto the next one. Most of these AUs don't change enough from the source material to be worth writing and posting, and I don't have enough time in the day to write down all of these little stories I come up with. But this one became more developed in my head than some of the others, and after everyone liked The Diverted Stream, I figured, why not write this one up and post it?

So here is my take on what would have happened if Bluestar had actually told the other Clans about Tigerclaw murdering Redtail and trying to murder her. Of course, this also takes for granted that the other Clans would all have believed Bluestar, but I figured Tallstar and Crookedstar would believe her, and ShadowClan, even as weak and leaderless as they were, weren't willing to take in the cats who had betrayed two Clans.

I thought it would be fun to explore Tigerclaw and his group of rogues joining BloodClan as a last resort, since none of the other Clans would take them in. You might've noticed that I didn't include Clawface in the group, even though he was one of Tigerclaw's followers in Tigerclaw's Fury. That's because Clawface was dead by Tigerclaw's Fury in the first series, and I felt that was the better and more canon-compliant option to go with. That inconsistency always bugged me. :P But the rest of the Tigerclaw's Fury gang is there, and now they all have cool BloodClan guard names. ^^

Crusher is named after being a big, strong fighter, even if Scourge hasn't seen him fight yet he can see how big and strong he is already; Shred is named after also looking big and strong, and being more cutthroat than the Clan cats; Howl is named after looking a bit weaker and more scared than the others, so he's named after a sound of fear, but it could be for a sound of fury and strength if he proves himself; Vermin is named after being sort of smaller and scruffier, like a rat or something (poor sod); Ambush is named for being a sneakier fighter (again, Scourge hasn't seen her fight, but maybe she talked with some of the guards who talked to Scourge, I thought it would be a cool guard name). Vengeance of course is told that he's been named after the revenge he longs for, but Scourge seems to have some differing thoughts on that subject. ^^

If you've read my series EOTW, and especially the novella Sushi's Society, you might recognize some of the BloodClan cats in this one-shot as cameos from that story. ^^ I figured I might as well use the same BloodClan cats, since I'd already come up with a full cast of them, and they aren't featuring very heavily at the moment anyway. I must say, it's weird writing about the same town and the same cats again, but going back to their darker time and back to the bloodshed and violence of Scourge's reign. At least things took a different turn in EOTW. ^^

In the timeline, I think this would be taking place somewhere around A Dangerous Path. I dunno, I didn't pin it down very solidly. This is just a fun idea I wanted to run with for a bit, and an excuse to maybe later draw Tigerclaw with a tooth-spiked collar, because why not. ^^ I'll get to part two when I feel like it, which might be soon, but I've been getting some work done on some original stuff, and I don't want to lose the roll I've been on with that, so we'll see.


	2. Part 2

Blood and Vengeance: Part Two  
A Warriors AU One-Shot

Almost overnight, the cold of leafbare had tightened its grip over twolegplace. A thin layer of snow was draped over the stone and wood surfaces of the town, and the morning sky was a weak, cloudy gray. The massive tabby looked over the changing town as he walked along the top of a fence. If he squinted, with the way the snow cloaked some of the hard edges of twolegplace, he could almost pretend that he was back in the forest already. But inevitably, the stench of monster-smoke and rats would work its way back into his nose, and he would be forced to remember.

Two moons had passed since Vengeance and his followers had joined BloodClan. It had all been easy for them to adapt to life as guards, as it required much the same skills as being a warrior. Howl still seemed hesitant to dole out punishment to some of the weaker rule-breakers of BloodClan, but Crusher and the former ShadowClan cats had become used to upholding strict rules under Brokenstar's reign, and while they clearly didn't take pleasure in it, they did exactly as Scourge ordered, and they did it well.

Shred had by far taken to guard life the best. With his ambition, his strength, and his tendency to be cruel and self-serving, he seemed almost born to be a BloodClan guard, Vengeance mused uneasily. He would have to keep an eye on the ginger tom, to make sure he wasn't getting too comfortable in twolegplace. He knew what their real goal was as well as the rest of Vengeance's followers – Vengeance would not tolerate Shred's loyalties shifting, if he decided that he liked Scourge better as his master.

Vengeance's lip curled. _Scourge._ Even the thought of the self-important little half-kittypet made the tabby growl. He dug his reinforced claws into the soft wood of the fence, imagining for a sweet moment that it was Scourge's pelt. Ever since they had arrived in Twolegplace, Vengenace'd had to bow and scrape at the tiny tom's paws just to keep him from growing suspicious. He had to act like he actually believed such a soft, weak little thing, who wore a collar like a kittypet, who let his guards do all the dirty work without ever unsheathing his claws himself, who lived off of twoleg scraps and walked their stinking stone paths like some kind of rat, was actually worthy of being any cat's leader. He hated it. He hated everything about living in BloodClan.

An unwelcome reminder of his current situation dug into his neck as he twisted his head around to lick his shoulder. One of Scourge's first tasks for his new guards had been to steal a collar from one of the local kittypets. All of Scourge's guards were required to wear collars, and to bear the teeth and claws of their victims on the collar as marks of their strength. Vengeance loathed his new collar, with a black hated he'd never felt for any living cat. He'd gone after the biggest kittypet he could find, but the collar was still too tight around his neck most of the time. It dug into his skin and left it sweating, it flattened and bent his fur at uncomfortable angles, and at the worst moments Vengeance felt like his throat was closing and he couldn't breathe. It was a prison, a symbol of twolegs and their ownership, of the weakest and softest kittypets, and Vengeance hated that he now had to wear it proudly for all to see.

The pale green collar was already studded with several teeth and claws. Vengeance had wasted no time establishing himself as a strong, ruthless presence among Scourge's guards. He had quickly won the respect and fear of the cats of twolegplace. They knew now that whenever one of Scourge's rules was broken, Vengeance would be there, and he would dish out whatever punishment Scourge ordered, no matter how cruel. The teeth dug into his throat and left the skin scratched and tender, but he minded that less than the collar itself. It might be rather barbaric, but at least it was a symbol of his strength as a fighter, unlike the collar.

While Vengeance did enjoy being able to employ his strength and punish those too weak to get by without theft, even he found some of BloodClan's tactics distasteful. What good was there in keeping a bunch of terrified, scattered loners restrained by fear when they didn't actually contribute anything to Scourge, or to BloodClan as a whole? Didn't Scourge see that BloodClan could be so much more? Properly trained, and with bonds forged between them from living together and hunting and fighting as one, these cats could be real warriors, and BloodClan could be a force strong enough to take on all four Clans. But instead, Scourge kept his forces weak and divided, preferring to let his guards bully the weakest rather than doing anything to actually build his Clan into a proper fighting unit.

Vengeance growled low to himself, his tail lashing, his annoyance building the longer he thought about Scourge and BloodClan. He hopped down from the fence, and began walking away, ready to start his patrols for the day. But a mew called him back. "Vengeance."

He turned to see a familiar tabby approaching him. "Screech," he growled in greeting. The gray she-cat was nearly as large as Vengeance himself, and one of Scourge's strongest guards. Her golden gaze was even as she came to stand before Vengeance. "Scourge has a mission for you," she told him. "Meet him in the gathering alley – don't keep him waiting."

"Of course," he rumbled. Screech gave a small nod, then turned to pad away. As she did, Vengeance noticed that her belly was sagging in a way that was unusual for the fit she-cat. He blinked, mildly curious. Was she expecting kits? But she began bounding away before Vengeance could ask, and the thought was quickly forgotten. He had a mission from Scourge – it wouldn't do to be late.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Scourge was already sitting atop the dumpster when Vengeance arrived. The usual crowd of cats coming to ask advice of Scourge hadn't arrived for the day, but the alley wasn't entirely empty either. Vengeance was surprised to see Ambush sitting in front of the dumpster when he arrived. He gave a brief nod of greeting, which the former ShadowClan warrior returned. An yellow collar sat around the she-cat's neck, studded with teeth and claws just like Vengeance's, and her claws were pierced through the marrow of sharpened dog teeth. Vengeance sat beside his follower and turned his gaze up to Scourge.

Scourge waited a few moments before speaking. "I have a task for you," he said, his mew as slow and thoughtful as ever. Vengeance sat up a little straighter, effortlessly affecting an expression of interest. He had long ago perfected the ability to act like the loyal, sincere follower. He had played this game for countless moons in Bluestar's Clan, acting the part of the loyal deputy while Redtail's blood was on his claws, and now it was practically kit's play to him.

"Our cats have reported a rogue that has been crossing our borders and stealing prey from our alleys for the last quarter moon," Scourge explained to the listening guards. "A gray tabby with a torn ear. So far, he has managed to avoid our guards, but a few days ago one of our members managed to find his nest, just outside of BloodClan's borders to the west. I want you to ambush him at his nest and teach him a lesson for taking BloodClan prey."

"Do you want us to kill him?" Vengeance asked. Ambush betrayed a small flinch at the suggestion, but she kept her gaze on Scourge, waiting to hear the leader's answer.

Scourge shook his head. "No. For the first time, just give him a warning – but make sure it's one he'll never forget. Attack him while he's in his den. An ambush while he's in the safety of his nest should scare him enough. Ambush, you're smaller, so you can push your way into his den and chase him out into Vengeance's claws. Give him a good thrashing, then send him running with his tail between his legs. Make sure he knows that the consequences will be far steeper should he ever set paw on our territory again."

"Yes Scourge," the guards chorused together. Both cats rose to their paws, Vengeance falling in behind Ambush as they started to pad away.

Before they could get very far, however, Scourge leaped down from the dumpster and strode up to Vengeance, pressing his pelt against his side and speaking in a voice low enough for only the tabby to hear. "You have served me well so far, Vengeance," he murmured, his icy gaze fixed on the massive tom. "I've been very impressed by your work these last moons. Carry out this mission for me, and I might just be open to talking about an assault on your forest Clans."

Hunger seared through Vengeance's pelt like fire. Ever since he had joined BloodClan, he had been aching for the day when he could finally bring the army of town cats swarming into the forest to take over the Clans. His initial plan had been to kill Scourge and secure his own position as BloodClan leader before using BloodClan to take over the forest Clans. However, since letting the forest cats join BloodClan, Scourge had dropped several hints about helping Vengeance take his revenge on the Clans.

Vengeance was no fool – he knew Scourge wasn't the sort to risk everything for another cat's revenge. For Scourge, this was merely an opportunity to acquire more land to rule over, and Vengeance's inside information about the Clans gave him the perfect chance to do so. Since Scourge already had BloodClan's complete obedience, and he had offered anyway, Vengeance figured it would now be easier to let Scourge lead the attack against the forest Clans.

Once BloodClan had taken over the forest and the Clan leaders had been killed, Vengeance would dump Scourge's body in the nearest fox hole, assert his new place as leader over BloodClan, and win the loyalty of the Clans by replacing the much-crueler leadership of Scourge. He would rule the forest and the town, and all he needed to do was win Scourge's respect, then wait for the tiny cat to win his battle for him.

"Yes Scourge," he rumbled. With a final flick of his tail, he turned and padded after Ambush, letting the smaller she-cat lead him out of the alley.

 **SCENEBREAK**

It was well past sunhigh by the time Ambush and Vengeance discovered the rogue's den outside of BloodClan's borders. A small, badger-sized box was settled beside a wall, in front of a garbage bin, with a large twoleg rag laid over the top of it. A dumpster sat a little further down the alley, against the opposite wall. From the descriptions of the cats they'd questioned, this was the rogue's den.

The guards approached the box, sniffing cautiously. "That seems like a pretty small den," Ambush commented, flattening her ears back. The gray-and-brown fur on her back was prickling with unease. "I'd feel trapped sleeping in something like that."

Vengeance gave a grunt of agreement, his lip curling in disgust. "I guess rogues only need so much space if they're on their own, " he growled. "Not like Clan cats." BloodClan cats were forbidden from sharing their dens with anyone other than mates or young kits, so Vengeance had found a den for himself after joining BloodClan. He missed the close contact between Clanmates in the warrior's den in ThunderClan. Even if ThunderClan had all turned out to be fools who had betrayed him, Clan ways allowed for much more honor and strength than the foolish, and isolating, division of BloodClan.

Ambush lifted her muzzle, taking a few steps towards the den and tasting the air. "The rogue's scent is stale," she commented. "I don't think he's in. But it smells like he keeps his fresh-kill in the den." Indeed, Vengeance could feel the strong, almost overwhelming stench of meat and twoleg scraps from within. Pleasure surged through his pelt. This cat had been foolish enough to steal from BloodClan, and now, Vengeance would be able to win Scourge's trust by punishing him for it.

"He's probably out hunting," Vengeance growled. "But when he comes back, he'll be walking into an ambush." He glanced at the she-cat, adding, "And once we've taken care of this thief, Scourge will help us to win the Clans back."

For a moment, hope blazed in Ambush's eyes. Though she and Vengeance had not been Clanmates, it was clear that she missed Clan life just as much as he did. "Right," she hissed. Already, her pelt was beginning to lie flat, her unease replaced by hunger and ambition. "Then let's go." Without waiting for an answer, she began stalking towards the den, tail waving confidently behind her.

The den had only one opening, on one of the shorter ends, where the top extended out farther than the bottom. Vengeance watched as Ambush padded into the den. But as her tail disappeared into the den, there was suddenly a loud clap, and part of the den's top swung down, slamming across the den's opening and sealing it off.

 _"_ _Re-ee-owr!"_ Ambush's panicked screeching rang out through the alley, echoing off of the stone walls. Vengeance's pelt fluffed out in shock. As Ambush thrashed and fought against the walls of the box, it shifted all along the pavement, and the rag atop of it slipped off onto the ground. Vengeance could see now that the box was made of the thin, silver material that BloodClan called metal wire. The wire was woven in neat, square patterns all across the box. What he had assumed was part of the top of the box was clearly some sort of flap, which had swung shut and had now blocked off the box's entrance. "Help me!" Ambush screeched. Vengeance could see her from between the wires; her pelt was fluffed out to its full length, and her eyes were wild with panic.

Vengeance bounded towards the box, stilling it with one hefty paw. "Calm down!" he ordered in a stern growl. It took a few moments, but Ambush's screeching faded to a low, panicked whimper. "Good," Vengeance grunted. "Now, listen. That flap closed down when you stepped inside. Can you push it back open?"

Ambush twisted around so she was facing the flap. She shoved her shoulder against it, pushing with all her might, but it didn't budge. "I heard something click when I got closed in," she whimpered, eyes growing wide. "I think some sort of latch locked it into place."

"Can you reach it?" Vengeance asked.

The she-cat pressed herself against the bottom of the box, pawing at the bottom of the flap. "I can't feel it," she told Vengeance. She pulled herself back up into a crouch, staring up at Vengeance with wide eyes. "How am I supposed to get out here?"

Before Vengeance could answer, a mocking yowl rang out from above their heads. Both cats looked up to see a gray tabby standing on the roof of the twoleg den across from them, his green eyes glowing with a triumphant light. Fury blazed through Vengeance as he spotted the tabby's torn ear. _The rogue thief,_ he realized.

"Stupid BloodClan brutes!" the thief yowled down into the alley, his tail lashing behind him, and his mew fierce with glee. "Don't you know a twoleg trap when you see one?" He took a step back, spitting, "That'll teach you to try and mess with me!" With a final hiss, he turned and bounded away, disappearing from view.

Sudden terror clawed at Vengeance's chest. If he let this rogue get away, he'd keep showing his face in BloodClan territory without a scratch on him, and Scourge would know he had failed. He could lose his chance to get Scourge to take over the Clans – or even worse, he could lose Scourge's trust entirely and find himself exiled, losing his chance to ever take BloodClan's leadership. He couldn't let that happen.

He glanced briefly back at Ambush, who stared up at him with terror in her eyes. "Hang on," he growled. "I'll be back for you."

"Vengeance! Wait!" Ambush wailed. But Vengeance paid no heed. He bounded towards the dumpster, reaching the top of it with a mighty leap, then used it to bound up onto the roof of the twoleg den beside it. The tabby was on the other end of the roof, but when Vengeance climbed up onto the roof behind him, he whirled around, eyes wide with sudden fear. With a yowl he leaped down into the far alley, Vengeance hot on his heels.

Once Vengeance was back on the ground, he thundered after the tabby, yowling a battle cry. The thief shrieked his terror as he fled from the furious guard. He led Vengeance on a desperate chase through the alleys of twolegplace, doubling back into BloodClan territory and racing through the narrowest alleys to try and lose the massive tabby. Finally, however, Vengeance put on an extra burst of speed and managed to reach out and trip the smaller tabby.

"Re-owr!" The tabby shrieked in fear as Vengeance bowled him over, snarling fiercely as he dug his reinforced claws into his tabby pelt. He struck out with his hind paws, battering at Vengeance's belly, but Vengeance dropped his weight onto the tabby, easily pinning his hind legs and keeping him from kicking out. The thief managed to wriggle his way out from under Vengeance. He tried to scurry, away, but Vengeance hooked his claws into the tom's side, yanking him closer and burying his jaws in his shoulder. He wrestled the struggling tom to the ground, scoring his reinforced claws across his pelt again and again, sinking his fangs deeper and deeper into his pelt.

Vengeance only loosened his jaws when the tom's struggles grew weak beneath him. He pulled his muzzle back, looking down at the thief. The gray tabby was no longer struggling. Instead, he staring up at Vengeance with eyes wide with terror, his entire pelt shaking. Vengeance bared his teeth at the tabby, then backed away, allowing him to struggle up to his paws. "This is what happens when you challenge the might of BloodClan," he hissed, lashing his tail. The tabby took a step back, eyes widening as Vengeance flashed his fangs. "Get out of here, and don't you dare show your face on BloodClan territory again – or you'll have more than a few scratches to think about."

With a final, terrified look at Vengeance, the tabby turned and scurried away as fast as his wounds would let him. Vengeance watched him until he had disappeared around the corner of a far twoleg den. Once the tabby was out of sight, Vengeance turned, examining the alley he'd found himself in. It didn't take him long to figure out where he was – this alley wasn't far from where he'd last spoken with Scourge. It would make more sense to update Scourge about the rogue first, then go back for Ambush.

He followed the stone paths through twolegplace, quickly reaching the alley where Scourge received visitors. A few scrawny BloodClan members were gathered in front of Scourge's dumpster when Vengeance arrived, but when the tiny tom noticed Vengeance approaching, he dismissed the cats with a sharp, "Go now. I must speak with Vengeance." The cats exchanged brief, fearful glances, then scurried away, leaving Vengeance alone in the alley with Scourge.

Scourge narrowed his eyes as he watched Vengeance come to stand in front of his dumpster. "I see you found the rouge," he commented lightly, his gaze traveling over Vengeance's blood-stained claws and muzzle. "But what I don't see is Ambush. Where is she?" For a moment, a mocking edge came to his mew. "Don't tell me a mighty forest warrior like her was brought down by one measly rogue?"

Vengeance fought the urge to bristle at the insult, more offended on behalf of Clan life in general than on behalf of Ambush. "It wasn't the rogue that got her," he grunted. Briefly, he described what had happened with the wire box. "She wasn't hurt when I saw her, but she wasn't able to get herself out of the box," he explained.

Scourge's gaze lit up with understanding. "So, Ambush has gotten herself caught in a cage, has she?" he mused.

"Cage?" Vengeance repeated.

"Boxes made of wire metal, with latches only twolegs can open," Scourge explained. "Sometimes twolegs leave them out to trap cats, to take them away and make them into kittypets."

Unease prickled in Vengeance's pelt. Even if Ambush wasn't one of his strongest followers, no warrior should be forced to live a humiliating existence as a kittypet. "I remember where she was caught," he rumbled, already starting to bunch his muscles under him, ready to bound away to her aid. "I'll go and help free her."

A cold light glinted in Scourge's eyes. "No," he mewed, halting Vengeance in his tracks. "She'll have already been carried off by the twolegs that set the trap by now. Even if she's still there, those cages aren't something a cat can open." Vengeance hesitated, glancing back towards the alley's entrance.

Scourge hopped down from the dumpster, approaching Vengeance. He began to circle around the tom, his eyes gleaming like chips of ice, his mew hard. "I brought you into this Clan because I trusted you would use your strength for me, Vengeance," he hissed. "In BloodClan, you follow _my_ orders. Your loyalty must be to BloodClan's rules and our way of life, not to your old forest friends. BloodClan has no use for cats foolish enough to be caught by twolegs." He halted in front of Vengeance, his icy gaze piercing as he stared up at Vengeance. "Leave her where she is – or you can forget ever serving as my guard again," he stated simply.

Vengeance hesitated. Revulsion for the puny half-kittypet in front of him swelled up in his gut. He needed as many supporters as he could to help take over the forest, and Crusher and Vermin would be furious if they ever learned he'd left Ambush to her fate. But finally, resignation settled in his chest. He hated Scourge, but right now, he still needed him. "Very well," he rumbled, affecting an uninterested tone.

A satisfied gleam appeared in Scourge's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. "Good," he mewed. He turned away from Vengeance, bounding back towards his dumpster and reaching the top in one leap. As he settled back onto his haunches, he ordered, "Go back to your patrolling for the day. You've done well today, Vengeance, despite Ambush's failure. We will speak soon about an assault on the Clans. For now, go."

"Yes Scourge," Vengeance mewed. Glee was sparking through his pelt. The loss of one supporter was unfortunate, and unease was still prickling at his paws at the thought of leaving a decent warrior to her twoleg captors. But he was close, so close now, to finally having the Clans in his grasp.

All he had to do now was wait.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Scourge watched as Vengeance left, not taking his gaze off of the tabby until he had disappeared into the alleys beyond. Even then, he stared at the spot where Vengeance had disappeared, his tail swaying in a slow, thoughtful rhythm behind him.

It seemed like moons had passed before another set of paws sounded from beyond the walls of the twoleg dens. Scourge turned his gaze to see a gray tabby limping his way into the alley. "Well, I did your job, just like you said," the tabby grumbled. He slumped onto his haunches, licking feebly at a wound on his side for a few moments, before admitting defeat and turning his muzzle away. He looked up at Scourge, a spark of defiance in his eyes. "You didn't tell me what a brute that guard of yours is. He nearly tore me to shreds!"

The tabby shut up the moment Scourge turned his icy glare on him. "You agreed to this task with the understanding that it involved being wounded," he reminded the rogue in an icy tone. The earlier defiance faded from the tabby's gaze, fear replacing it. "And you have no room to complain, after stealing prey from BloodClan's alleys, even after your last warning." He hopped down from the dumpster, stalking up to the wounded tabby. Terror lit up in the thief's eyes as Scourge came to stand in front of him. "You're lucky I decided to spare your life."

"Y-yes Scourge!" the tabby gasped out, flinching away from the tiny tom as he lifted a single paw, only to relax as Scourge merely began grooming it. "Ah, well, I did your little job, and that scruffy she-cat got stuck in the cage. That means I can go, right? No grudges about the stolen prey?"

Scourge paused in his grooming, his icy gaze fixed on the tabby rogue. The larger tom quaked under the leader's intense stare. "That is what I promised, isn't it?" the leader mused, more to himself than to the tabby. Then, after a moment's thought, he blinked. "But I'm afraid it's a promise I'll have to break."

The tabby's eyes bulged with sudden terror. Before he could raise a claw to defend himself, Scourge's paw lashed out with frightening speed, and his reinforced claws tore through the tabby's throat. The tom swayed for a moment, gasping and choking, blood spurting from the open wound. Then he crumpled to the pavement at Scourge's paws. He gave a few final twitches, then stilled.

Scourge stared at the body in front of him with a blank expression. His tail twitched behind him, annoyance creeping through his pelt. The tom's life meant nothing to him, he was a thief and a rogue after all, but it was annoying to have to go back on a promise. He usually prided himself on being a leader of his word, even if that word meant cruel punishment for any who broke his laws. Usually, he wouldn't go to such an extreme, but this time it had been necessary. Vengeance couldn't learn of this deception, not until the right time, and he couldn't trust that the rogue wouldn't spill the secret before then if Vengeance ever got his claws on him again.

Pawsteps nearby alerted him to the approach of another cat. Bone came to stand at Scourge's side, glancing down at the tabby's body with disdain. "Dispose of that," Scourge murmured, flicking his tail lazily towards the body. "Then go make sure Vengeance doesn't go anywhere near that cage. Distract him if you have to, but otherwise just keep an eye on him. No need to make him suspicious. And make sure our little friends get the message about what's happened today."

"Yes Scourge," Bone grunted. The massive tom crouched down over the tabby's body, working the lifeless lump over his head and onto his broad shoulders. Once the tabby was secured on his back, Bone took off, leaving Scourge alone in his alley once more.

Excitement, and the thrill of the chase, was sparking through Scourge's pelt. His plan was finally being put into place, and all of the pieces were in place. All he had to do now was give the final nudge, and then, finally, his oldest enemy would be delivered into his paws.

 **SCENEBREAK**

Darkness had fallen in twolegplace, and Vengeance had still not returned.

Ambush had long since stopped screeching for help. Her throat was raw and hoarse from yowling, and her legs were shaking with the effort of throwing herself against the wire walls of the box in her fight to get free. Now, she was crouched in the cage, her head bowed and eyes closed, her entire pelt shaking with exhaustion and fear. Terror was making her mind numb. Vengeance hadn't come back for her, and she couldn't get out of this box herself. She was trapped.

She didn't know whether the twolegs who made the box would come back to take her as prisoner and make her a kittypet, or even kill her, or whether she would be left to rot in this box until she starved. The stench of meat and other twoleg food had been overwhelming when she'd stepped into the box, but she'd soon discovered that only a bit of pasty, unusually smelly twoleg food had been smeared on the metal flap on the cage's floor, which she had long since licked up. There was no food or water in her reach now, and without a way to escape, she was completely at the mercy of any twolegs that came along.

Suddenly, there was a clattering from farther down the street. Ambush stiffened. "Who's there?" she cried out in a hoarse yowl. New terror seized her pelt. Had the twolegs finally come for her?

"Ambush?" Suddenly, there was a thunder of pawsteps from further down the alley, then her box was being surrounded on all sides, pelts pressing against the wire box and purrs around her. "Thank StarClan! We thought you'd been taken away!"

The she-cat gasped. "Crusher? Vermin?" Her former Clanmates stepped back, staring back at her with relief and concern battling in their gazes. Howl was with them too, standing farther back, but looking as alarmed as the former ShadowClan cats at Ambush's state. "What… how did you find me?"

"Bone mentioned something about you not coming back after your mission this morning," Vermin informed her. "We got worried, so we went looking for you. Some of the rogues around here were able to point us in the right direction." His eyes were wide as he looked over the box. "How in StarClan did you get stuck in that thing?"

"It was a trap," Ambush growled. Her tail lashed in frustration behind her, embarrassment washing over her at the memory of being so easily fooled. "I was trying to drive the rogue out of his den, but it was all just a stupid trap, and now I'm stuck."

Crusher pushed the box with one hefty, jet-black paw, testing its strength. "Is there a way to open this?" he growled. His amber gaze was narrowed and focus, but even the former deputy had concern glowing in his eyes for his old Clanmate.

"I haven't been able to find one," Amber mewed. She hated the fearful whimper that was creeping into her tone, but she saw no judgment in the eyes of her old Clanmates, only fear and worry. "Vengeance said he would come back and help me, but, well, he hasn't." Surprise lit up in Crusher's eyes. "Please, help me find a way out of here. I don't want to get taken away by twolegs!"

"Don't worry," Crusher growled. "We won't let that happen." He turned to the smaller toms, ordering in a strong mew, "Come on, let's get her out of here." All three toms closed in on the box, pushing and prodding it from every angle they could, pulling and clawing and trying anything to open it, but the box refused to yield.

Suddenly, a new voice spoke from behind all of them. "Allow me." The toms spun around to face the newcomer, only to freeze in fear. Ambush stiffened in shock. She stared in disbelief at the tiny black tom pushed past the larger toms and approached her, coming to a halt in front of the box. His ice-blue gaze was as neutral as ever as he looked over her. "Hello, Ambush," he mewed in a cool tone.

Ambush gaped at the tom. "Scourge!" she gasped. Of all of the cats to come looking for her, she never would have guessed that the BloodClan leader would be one of the ones to arrive.

"What are you doing here?" Crusher asked in a carefully respectful tone. Ambush didn't miss the fact that he and Vermin shifted a little closer to her, however, muscles tensed and ready to defend their vulnerable Clanmate. Even Howl, whose eyes were stretched wide in terror at the sight of Scourge, didn't move from his spot in front of her. She felt a rush of warmth for their loyalty, but also fear – Scourge would have his guards tear them to shreds if they dared to oppose him.

Scourge settled back onto his haunches, watching the trembling she-cat and defensive toms with a calm expression. "I wanted to know why only one of my guards returned today after their mission," he explained. "So I followed your scent trail. It seems you've gotten yourself in quite a predicament."

Her breath caught in her throat. "So… Vengeance came back? Where is he?"

"Vengeance reported to me about his success in punishing the rogue thief, then he returned to his patrolling for the day," Scourge informed her. "I believe he's retired to his nest for the night by now."

All four cats gaped at the BloodClan leader. "What?" Ambush breathed. Disbelief was pricking at her pelt. Vengeance might not have been ShadowClan like the rest of them, but she had fought beside him like a Clanmate. She had followed him loyally. He couldn't have just left her here. "But… he said he'd come back for me." She hated how small and kit-like her voice sounded, the way her mew caught in her throat, but she couldn't deny the hurt of this betrayal. Her pelt was trembling as she tried to process what she'd been told.

"I'm sure that's what he said," Scourge murmured. Some emotion Ambush couldn't read was glowing in his eyes, but even as she tried to read it, it was gone again. "But Vengeance's word is not his greatest strength." He rose back onto his paws, stretched his limbs out lazily. "He's not here, but as you can see, I am. And luckily for you, I know how to deal with these twoleg traps."

The tiny leader approached the cage with an almost lazy air. He circled around to the back end of the cage, where a clunky metal claw of some kind seemed to be holding the wire flaps together. Ambush hadn't been able to reach it from inside the trap, but Scourge was able to pull part of the claw back with his paws, forcing the claw to release its hold on the wire. He set that aside, then used his reinforced claws to pull the back flap up, until the entrance was clear.

Ambush scrambled free of the trap the moment there was enough room for her to pass through. Once she was through, Scourge released his hold on the flap, and it snapped back into place with a sharp clap. Her whole pelt was trembling with a fierce, reckless joy and relief. Only moments before, she had been so sure that she would be a prisoner of the box and its twolegs forever, and now she was free.

Vermin and Howl pressed against her on either side, trying to steady her trembling pelt, while Crusher kept his gaze on Scourge, wariness battling with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you for helping our Clanmate," he mewed carefully.

"Yes, thank you," Ambush rasped once she'd gotten her gasping and trembling under control.

Scourge blinked at her, almost looking amused. "We're all Clanmates now," he pointed out in a casual mew. "I require strength from my guards, and you have all provided that and more. I don't turn away strong, resourceful guards just because they make a mistake or two."

Ambush stared at the tom, too surprised to reply. Her impression of the BloodClan leader in her two moons in the Clan had been of the sort of tyrant who punished any cat who stepped out of line or failed him somehow. Howl and Shred had both spoken fearfully of his cruelty from what they'd heard when they were living in twolegplace, and she had certainly seen his capacity for cruelty while serving him as a guard. But even though she knew him to be no less cruel than she'd expected, she was surprised at the quiet respect in his eyes as he gazed at the guards around him. She didn't know what to make of it, so she regarded him warily.

"We appreciate that," Crusher rumbled, though Ambush could see her own confusion reflected in his eyes.

Scourge seemed to sense their uneasiness. "Understand this," he said, his mew suddenly serious. "I require complete loyalty from my Clan because life in twolegplace is dangerous and grueling. The only way that we can make it through without being hunted down by dogs or monster, or bringing too much attention to ourselves and getting rounded up by twolegs, is to follow a rigid system of rules. Cats who act out against our rules, who group together with too many cats, or who steal our prey, or provoke twolegs in some way, risk bringing the fury of the twolegs down on us all. I punish rulebreakers so harshly because they pose us such a danger in this environment."

His gaze traveled over the four cats standing before him. "I've had my eye on Vengeance ever since he stepped into the city. I had hoped that he would use his strength to benefit the cats of my Clan, but unfortunately, he seems to care only for himself." He gave a small nod to Ambush, mewing, "He was willing to leave his own Clanmate behind to win me over, and my spies have discovered far more concerning plans, plans to kill me and to take over this town."

Ambush stiffened, guilt and terror spiking through her pelt. She and the rest of Vengeance's followers had plotted with Vengeance from the beginning to help Vengeance take over BloodClan, and the forest Clans after. She tried to hide the fearful bristling of her pelt, desperate to keep from giving away her own part in Vengeance's plot. Howl's eyes had grown wide, and Vermin's tail was twitching in an anxious way, but Crusher was facing Scourge with a neutral expression. "That is concerning to hear," he rumbled.

Scourge fixed a stern gaze on the massive white tom. "I'm not a fool, Crusher," he warned the former deputy. "I know that Vengeance must have involved the cats he brought here in his plans, at least in some part. That's why he brought you here. To help him to take over this Clan, and the forest after." All four cats stiffened in fear. Scourge watched them for a moment longer, letting the suspense hang in the air, before giving a dismissive flick of his tail. "Lower your hackles," he sniffed. "You made these plans before you came to BloodClan, and before you saw how we lived. I will not fault you for this – unless you follow through with this plan."

The gray-and-brown she-cat stiffened as Scourge's gaze fixed on her. "I need you to understand this," he said in a serious mew. "Vengeance is a danger to every cay in this town. I've seen his type before, and I know the danger they bring. He will lay waste to every cat in his way to power, and there is nothing he won't do to get what he wants. He doesn't care about you. I think he made that quite clear today."

"The four of you have served me well so far, and I see potential in your strength and your loyalty," Scourge said, lifting his chin. "If you help me to stop Vengeance in his tracks, we can put this whole mess of false loyalty and plots behind us, and you will continue to have your place as esteemed guards of this Clan. But I promise you – if you continue to follow Vengeance, he will leave you behind and tear you down the moment you're no longer useful to him." He paused, letting his gaze sweep over the four cats in front of him. "It's your choice. I won't force you either way. But I would think very carefully about what is you see in Vengeance, and whether he's worth everything you're prepared to risk for him."

With a final glance back at the stunned guards, Scourge turned and began padding away, his tail flicking calmly behind him. Ambush and the others watched as he rounded a corner and disappeared. Silence reigned after the tom left. Ambush's mind was a tangle of emotion, hurt and betrayal mixing with surprise and confusion. Even as her instincts warned against trusting Scourge too easily, his manners and his speech that night had shifted her perception of him.

His manner of ruling was cruel, of course, but Ambush was no stranger to cruelty. She had upheld harsh laws under Brokenstar's reign before. She hadn't approved of everything Brokenstar had ordered her to do, but she had gone along with it because she believed he was a great leader, and that he understood the needs of the Clan better than she did. Even when things had gotten really bad, she had continued to follow him, more out of some vain hope that he was doing what was best for the Clan than any true conviction.

While she wasn't proud of her role in upholding his leadership, and she no longer made excuses for his crueler actions, she had seen for herself the hard decisions it took to lead a Clan, and life was even harder in twolegplace than in the forest, like Scourge had said. Maybe the tiny tom was more like the noble forest leaders than she had given him credit for.

But it wasn't newfound loyalty to the Scourge that ruled her thoughts most at the moment. What she felt above all other things was hurt. She and Vengeance had not lived together in ShadowClan, and she had only been following him for a few moons. But he and the exiled ShadowClan cats had all served under the warrior code, and had shared the bond of living as warriors and knowing the honor of Clan life.

Vengeance had come into their group and made grand speeches of power and redemption, of finally being accepted into the Clans again, after so many moons of rejection. Ambush had believed him. She had respected him. She believed him to be strong, ambitious, perhaps too willing to kill to seize power, but ultimately noble, and willing to do what it took to protect the cats loyal to him.

But his actions tonight had shattered that vision of him. Ambush had served him as loyally as any warrior had ever served a leader, and in her moment of greatest need, he had abandoned her without a second thought. One chance to please Scourge and win his aid in attacking the Clans had been enough to make him leave her to whatever horrible fate her twoleg captors had in store for her. He hadn't just betrayed her, he had betrayed everything that Ambush thought he had stood for. The hurt and confusion in Ambush's heart hardened into anger. Her fury built and built, until a hard pit of rage was searing in her chest.

She snapped her head up in a sudden movement, breaking the stillness between the four of them, and startling the other three into looking at her. "I don't know about everything he said, but Scourge was right about one thing," she growled. "Vengeance doesn't give two mouse tails about us, any of us. He's not worth anything we've risked for him."

Howl blinked in surprise, but Vermin and Crusher were nodding, anger hardening in their eyes. "No good warrior leaves a cat behind like that," Vermin mewed, his eyes bright with anger. "We've risked everything for him. We can't let him betray us like this."

"We can't – and we won't," Crusher rumbled. He glanced at Howl – the scrawny tom hesitated for a moment, but after a brief glance at Ambush, his gaze hardened with determination, and anger. He gave a stiff nod. Satisfaction lit up in Crusher's eyes. "Good," he growled. He turned his gaze to Ambush, rumbling, "I think you should stay out here for a few days. If Vengeance sees you, he'll know that we've learned he left you behind, and he'll realize we might betray him. Better to lay low – we'll come visit so we can all plan together."

The massive tom lifted his head, a dark light to his amber eyes. "We were willing to help Vengeance gain everything," he growled. "But he betrayed us, and now, we'll make him regret ever coming to us for help."

Rumbles of agreement rose from the group. After a few more exchanges, they split up for the night, ready to return to their nests – and totally unaware of the tiny cat who hid on the roof above them, listening to every word that they had said.

Glee was pulsing through every hair on Scourge's pelt. He slid his claws out further, scraping them lightly against the tiles of the roof. The nudge had been given, his pieces were falling into place, and soon, Vengeance would be his.

* * *

Took me a while, I got kinda stuck on the end there, but here's the second part of my short AU story about Tigerclaw and his followers joining BloodClan. I was planning on this only being two chapters long, but this part got so long that I didn't want to add more to it, so I'll have to add one more chapter to the story. ^^ Ah well.

So now we get to see how Vengeance and his group have settled into BloodClan, and how they're doing as guards. They've all got tooth-spiked collars now, to Vengeance's mortification. ^^ Vengeance's collar is green, Ambush's is yellow, Howl's is light blue, Shred's is red, Vermin's is pink, and Crusher's is orange. Not important for the story, of course, but it helps me to visualize these things, and I liked picking out colors for all of them. ^^ I might draw them with their BloodClan designs sometimes.

We also get to see how Scourge's plan is playing out, and what his plan exactly is. Vengeance's own followers seem to be turning against him now. ^^ We'll have to see how this plays out in the final chapter, which I'll try to get done sometime soon.

And of course, I had to sneak Screech in there. ^^ For those who don't know, Screen is a character from my novella Sushi's Society from the EOTW AU series, a member of Scourge's guard. She does indeed have kits, but to say anymore would be spoiling. ^^ Check out Sushi's Society if you want to find out more.

I think there was more I planned to say here, but I can't think of it at the moment, and I have to get on the road soon, so I'll just say, I'll try to get the next part done soon. ^^


End file.
